Holiday Wishes

Here is wishing you and yours a happy holiday season filled with love and laughter.

Well, I don’t know about you, but we are in full swing around here. I have attended 4 out of 5 choir concerts (All three of my kiddos are in choir!)  this season and have been trying to organize the special meals and celebrations to come. I was beginning to feel frazzeled already!I got this message from Rena Hatch who is a Life Coach and truly a maven of self care that really helped me get back into focus on what is important.Check out her message about how her cat inspired her thoughts on self care for the holiday season.  Cats really are pretty wise! All the best, Karen DeBolt, MA Parent Coach and Family Therapist http://www.counselingformoms.com 503-459-2073 Helping families struggling with chaos at home to raise happy, successful children. Okay the hat has got to go! Photo by Delina on Flickr

Gotta Do it: Self Care

Oh my gosh! I don’t know about you, but I have a ton to do before I’m ready for the holidays. With all the planning, shopping, baking and party going, it is very easy to wear ourselves completely out before the big day even comes. I want you to think about some ways that you can increase your self care this holiday season so that you can actually enjoy it without getting fried to a crisp.

Gotta do it self care

Get enough sleep – yes actually make sure that you get into bed at a decent hour and allow yourself to sleep the amount of sleep that you personally need to feel good–every night! Sleep is critical for healing, for emotional regulation, for repairing your cells and filing away those things you need to remember. In other words, get enough sleep and you will think better, feel better and, yes darling, you will also look better. (Go back and read that with the Billy Crystal doing Lorenzo Lamas voice) Because to feel good is to look good. Okay, I’m getting a little goofy now!

Eat small healthy meals – with so much junk around it can be easy to just snack and forget to eat actual meals. Schedule in some time for eating healthy meals, and you will not only feel better, but be happier about the scale when January rolls around.

Exercise – you don’t actually have to get to the Gym and do two hours on the machines to get the benefits of exercise. Taking a 30 minute walk outside every day will do wonders for your mood and your energy levels. When you are feeling exhausted, try taking a walk. Walking really does seem to energize me when I’m feeling sluggish–give it a try!

Have some “Me time” – of all the gotta do it self care this is probably the most important and least likely to actually happen.  I want to strongly encouraged you to stop and get whatever you write your appointments in and actually schedule yourself time to do something that nurture your soul. Not sure what does nurture your soul? Then maybe its time to schedule time to think about that. . .

Time with friends?
Dancing to music you love?
Watching a mushy love story or a sexy thriller?
How about a nap or a bubble bath?

None of these things costs a lot of money but they all pay back big dividends in higher energy and better mood! Believe me getting depleted doesn’t do anyone any good–not you and not your family either.

So fill ‘er up and enjoy everything that the holidays have to offer.

Winter Advantage Day Camp

We are offering a great new program for Winter break which will help you to find the time to get in that self care I was just talking about!  Not only will you have some time, but your child will be learning, growing, and best of all having a great time.

Our summer program was so much fun that the children left camp asking to come back next year.

Check out all the details here